The Epic of American Civilization is a mural by painter and muralist Jose Clemente Orozco. The work is located in the Library of Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, United States. Painted between 1932 and 1934, it stands at a height of 27 feet (8.2 m) and a width of 120 feet (36.6 m).
Orozco’s work is set during the American colonial period and depicts the story of the country’s founding. The mural is divided into two parts: “The Founding of Order” and “The Epic of American Civilization”. The first part depicts the arrival of Christopher Columbus in the Americas, while the second part tells the story of the country’s development from its early days to the present.
The mural was originally commissioned by Dartmouth College President Ernest Martin Hopkins. It was completed in 1934 and installed in the college’s library the following year. The work quickly gained national attention, and Orozco was praised for its technical mastery and social commentary.
In recent years, the mural has been the subject of controversy due to its depiction of Native Americans and Europeans. Nevertheless, it remains one of the most significant works of art in the United States.
